Garment steamer and stretcher



G. T. OBERWETTER GARMENT STEAMER AND STRETCHER Filed April 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l fl llllllllll Jafi. 12, 1937.

jan. 12, 1937. G. T. OBERWETTER GARMENT STEAMER AND STRETCHER Filed April 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1937 GARMENT STEAMER AND STRETCHER George T. Oberwetter, Houston, Tex., assignor to Roy D. Oberwetter, Houston, Tex.

Application April 2, 1934, Serial No. 718,606

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a garment steamer and stretcher.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for stretching garments, which have become shrunk, to their original size.

Another object is to provide apparatus for steaming the garment to facilitate the stretching operation.

Another object is to provide, in an apparatus of this character, a construction whereby the steam will be retained in the garment during the operation of stretching the same.

A further object is to provide means for preventing the premature condensation of the steam.

A further feature resides in the provision of novel means for suitably drying the stretched garment.

The invention further comprehends a novel method of stretching, steaming and drying a garment in the process of cleaning the same.

The apparatus has been primarily designed for the purpose of stretching the legs of pants, or the sleeves of garments but may be so designed that it may be used for stretching garments generally, and steaming the same during the stretching process and for drying the article when the stretching operation has been completed.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged partial sectional view of stretcher loop.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the steam supply pipe showing an ejector nozzle therein, and

Figure 5 shows an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a suitable support such as a table supported on the legs as 2. Upstanding from this table, at a convenient angle there is a loop formed of the tubular legs 3, l. The outer ends of these legs are closed in any preferred manner, as by the plugs 5, 6 which are formed with overturned tubular extensions 7, 8 the latter of which telescopes within the former. Housed within and enclosed by these extensions there is a strong coil push spring 9 which permits the legs to yield inwardly and which normally holds them yieldingly outwardly. These legs are anchored to the table I and have suflicient flexibility to permit the legs to yield to accommodate garments of different sizes.

On the table the flange connections H3, H), are secured by suitable bolts and the anchored ends of the legs are screwed through these connections and extend through the table and a T- connection H is screwed onto the extended end of each leg. The lower ends of the connections H are closed by the plugs l2 and the steam heater coils l3, l3 are extended inwardly through the plugs and are anchored in place thereby. These coils may be formed of copper tubes, or other suitable material and are provided for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

The T-connections H are connected by a suitable tubular manifold id and the inlet pipe I5 enters said manifold and is connected into the ejecter housing It which is incorporated into the steam supply pipe I! through which steam is supplied, under pressure, to the legs of the loop.

The supply pipe l'l terminates in an ejector nozzle !8 within the housing l6 and leading from said housing l5 there is a relief id.

The heater coils l3 are connected, at one end into the inlet manifold 20, which is connected with the supply pipe ll, and at their other ends these coils are connected into the relief manifold 2!, which is connected into the relief line i9.

On opposite sides of the ejector are the inlet and relief valves 22, 23 which are arranged to be manually controlled by the respective pedals 24, 25, said pedals being connected to the valve stems by the respective links 26, 27. The pedals 24, 25 are supported on the respective coil springs, or other yieldable supports 28, 29 whereby said pedals are held elevated and the corresponding valves maintained closed.

As will be noted from an inspection of Figure 3, the inner or facing sides of the legs 3, 4 have the rows of nozzle openings 39. The openings at one end of each row converge toward the openings at the other end of said row so that the steam ejected from the end openings of the rows will be ejected along inwardly converging lines with respect to the longitudinal axis of the loop. The intermediate openings 30 are directed at approximately right angles to the axes of the corresponding legs.

The drawings disclose an apparatus specially adapted for stretching and steaming pants legs and in use the garment leg may be drawn over the loop. The coil spring 9, together with the flexibility of the legs 3 and 4 will hold said legs yieldingly apart so as to hold the material of the garment leg thereon taut and the loop may be thus accommodated to the garment legs of different sizes. When the garment leg is positioned on the loop, the pedal 25 may be depressed opening the valve 22. Steam under pressure Will pass from the supply pipe I! through the nozzle l8 and thence through the inlet pipe to the manifold l4 and to the legs 3, 4. The steam will be ejected through the nozzle openings 353 within the garment leg on the loop. The inwardly projected jets of steam passing from the end openings will form a trap to retain the steam within the garment leg and to force the steam to pass out through the material of. the garment, the said material being meanwhile subjected to the stretching influence of the loop. The heater coils l3 are provided to prevent the steam from condensing in the garment legs and from being ejected in the form of water spray into the leg of the garment. There is a constant circulation of hot steam through the'coils l3. When the garment has been sufficiently steamed and stretched the valve 23 may be also opened and the steam from the supply pipe ll will be ejected though the nozzle I8 and will pass on out through the relief line H], acting to eject steam from the garment legs and to set up a suction or back flow of steam from said garment legs through the inlet pipe l and the relief line l9 whereby air will be drawn through the material of the garment until the same is properly dried while under stretching influence of the loop. The garment may be then removed from the loop and pressed.

It is obvious that the design of the loop and the size thereof may be changed to accommodate legs or sleeves or garments of different sizes and shapes without departing from the principle of the invention.

The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A garment steamer and stretcher comprising a loop having side legs mounted to yield toward and from each other and adapted to receive a garment thereover and to maintain the material thereof under tension, the facing sides of. the legs having openings, a heater coil in each leg, means for supplying steam under pressure to each leg, and means for creating suction through each leg.

2. A garment steamer and stretcher comprising a table-like support, a loop thereon formed of pipes, said pipes being fixed to the support at one end and being turned at an acute angle to the support and whose other ends are closed and free to move toward and from each other to permit a garment to be drawn thereover and to yieldingly resist against the material of the garment to exert a stretching influence on said material, the facing sides of the pipes having openings through which steam may be forced into the space within the garment on the loop, a heater in each pipe of the loop, means for forcing said steam through said openings into the garment and means for creating a suction through the pipes to create partial vacuum Within the garment whereby the outside air may be drawn by suction through the material of the garment on the loop.

3. A garment steamer and stretcher comprising a loop having side legs mounted to yield toward and from each other and adapted to receive a garment thereover and to maintain the material thereof under tension, the facing sides of the legs having openings, heating means in each leg, means for supplying steam under pressure to each leg and means for creating suction through each leg.

GEORGE T. OBERWETTER. 

